Medical labeling apparatus with drug information

ABSTRACT

Provided is a labeling apparatus that generates a label for labeling a drug container at a healthcare facility. The labeling apparatus includes a code reader that reads a computer-readable code encoding a drug to be stored by the drug container and transmits a signal indicative of the identity of the drug in response to reading the computer-readable code. A non-transitory computer-readable memory stores a drug formulary comprising a plurality of drug entries. A processing component is configured to identify, from the formulary, the identity of the drug corresponding to the computer-readable code and receives a patient identity from a computer-accessible source. A printer is operable to print label content identifying the specific drug onto a label that is to be applied to the drug container. The label content includes the identity of the drug and the patient identity encoded by a label code that is computer-readable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This application relates generally to a labeling apparatus forgenerating labels and, more particularly, a labeling apparatus andmethod for generating labels including a machine-readable code to beapplied to drug containers in a medical environment.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventional labeling systems suffer from many drawbacks, and havelimited reliability due primarily to human error. Sloppy handwriting canmake the label difficult to read, or altogether illegible. Eachtechnician who prepares such a label may also do so in a differentmanner, or attribute different meanings to the content of a label thananother technician. In such situations, the label content is left opento interpretation, and often lacks information essential for properdocumentation and record keeping purposes.

Further, conventional labeling systems generally lack the ability togenerate labels that are useful to facilitate a secure double check thatthe proper patient is to receive a drug to be administered via anautomated drug delivery device. Traditionally, human-readable labelcontent was manually compared to other human-readable contentidentifying the patient at the location where the drug is to beadministered to the patient.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect, the subject application involves a labelingapparatus that generates a label for labeling a drug container at ahealthcare facility. Such a labeling apparatus includes a code readerthat reads a computer-readable code encoding a drug to be stored by thedrug container and transmits a signal indicative of the identity of thedrug in response to reading the computer-readable code. A non-transitorycomputer-readable memory stores a drug formulary comprising a pluralityof drug entries. A processing component is configured to identify, fromthe formulary, the identity of the drug corresponding to thecomputer-readable code and receives a patient identity from acomputer-accessible source. A printer is operable to print label contentidentifying the specific drug onto a label that is to be applied to thedrug container. The label content includes the identity of the drug andthe patient identity encoded by a label code that is computer-readable.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves a methodof administering a drug to a patient utilizing an automated drugdelivery device. According to such a method, a computer-readable codereader is used to scan a drug code that is computer-readable and a firstpatient code that is also computer readable. The drug code and the firstpatient code are associated with a drug container storing the drug to beadministered by the automated drug delivery device. With thecomputer-readable code reader, a second patient code that is computerreadable and independent of the first patient code is scanned. A firstpatient identity determined based on the first patient code is comparedto a second patient identity determined based on the second patient codeto make a determination whether the first patient identity matches thesecond patient identity. The drug delivery device is configured toadminister the drug to the patient in response to making a determinationthat the first patient identity matches the second patient identity, andan alert is initiated in response to making a determination that thefirst patient identity does not match the second patient identity.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement ofparts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form apart hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of a labeling apparatus forgenerating labels to be applied to medicinal substances in a medicalfacility;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram schematically depicting components of alabeling apparatus for generating labels to be applied to medicinalsubstances in a medical facility;

FIG. 3 shows an illustrative embodiment of a medical labeling networkarrangement at a medical facility;

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative embodiment of a prescription formprescribing a drug to a patient, the prescription form comprising acomputer-readable code identifying the patient;

FIG. 5 shows an illustrative embodiment of a wristband worn by a patientand including a barcode encoding information indicative of the patient'sidentity;

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative embodiment of a label printed in accordancewith the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment of a prescription form prescribinga drug to a patient, the prescription form comprising acomputer-readable code identifying the patient and a computer-readabledrug order code.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language usedherein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which likenumerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in thedrawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

It is also to be noted that the phrase “at least one of”, if usedherein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of themembers, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example,the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means inthe present application: the first widget, the second widget, or thefirst widget and the second widget. Likewise, “at least one of a firstwidget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the presentapplication: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, thefirst widget and the second widget, the first widget and the thirdwidget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget andthe second widget and the third widget.

As shown in FIG. 1, the computer terminal 10 includes a touch-screendisplay 14 that can be pivotally coupled to a cabinet 20 to display avirtual label 16 comprising label content 34 that will be printed onto alabel 12 that will be applied to a medicinal substance. The computerterminal 10 can be operable to scan a computer-readable code and print alabel to be applied to a medical container such as a syringe asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/901,110, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The display 14 candisplay soft keys that, when touched by a technician or any other user,inputs data and commands into the computer terminal 10. The virtuallabel 16 is a computer-generated rendering of the label 12 that offersthe user visual confirmation of the appearance of the physical label 12to be printed by a printer 26. A computer-input peripheral such as anon-contact scanner 18, for example, can be provided at a convenientlocation, such as integrally formed in a bottom portion of the display14 to read a machine-readable code supported beneath the scanner 18 forexample. Integrally forming the scanner 18 as part of the display 14provides for space savings over an arrangement where the scanner 18 isformed as a separate peripheral, which can be repositioned relative tothe display 14. However, other embodiments can allow for a separate anddistinct scanner 18 and/or display 14.

The computer-input peripheral can be a barcode reader or radio-frequencyidentification (“RFID”) tag reader, or any other device that reads amachine-readable code such as a barcode or RFID code, respectively, orany other machine-readable code without requiring contact between thecomputer terminal and the code, and optionally the user during entry ofthe code. According to alternate embodiments, the display 14 can beutilized by a user as the computer-input peripheral. For suchembodiments, the soft keys displayed by the display 14 can be selectedto input information such as a medicinal substance being prepared to beadministered to a patient or other information to be utilized ingenerating the label as described herein. According to yet alternateembodiments, a speaker 17 can optionally be provided to the display 14or any other portion of the computer terminal 10 to broadcast audiblesounds.

The computer terminal 10 also includes a cabinet 20 that houses orsupports components that are operable to produce the label 12 incompliance with a medical labeling standard. But if what is beinglabeled is anything other than the medicinal substance, then the label12 produced is to be compliant with a standard developed by a trade orprofessional organization, governing body, government agency, ahealthcare provider or facility such as a hospital, or any otherstandards body setting forth policies for labeling such material. Theinternal components housed within the cabinet 20 are schematicallyillustrated by the block diagram of FIG. 2. The components can be formedfrom an arrangement of computer hardware such as ASICs, computerprocessors, programmable logic controllers and other circuitry; or acombination of computer hardware and computer-executable instructions.For example, a processing component 22 is provided to executecomputer-executable instructions stored in a non-transitory,computer-readable memory 24 such as a hard disk drive, read-only memory(“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), optical disc, or any othersuitable memory device, or any combination thereof. Thecomputer-executed instructions, when executed by the computer processor22, result in the performance of the method of generating a label for amedicinal substance described in detail below. A BIOS 28 is provided toload the operating system and other such administrative instructions 30stored in the memory 24 and manage hardware interface permissions of thecomputer terminal 10. The operating system can be configured to onlyload authorized updates to prevent unauthorized changes to the formulary36, configuration data 32 and administration instructions 30.Configuration data 32 controls various features of the computer terminal10 that are active and available for use at any given time. Theconfiguration data 32 can optionally be stored, updated and deleted fromthe memory 24 by the introduction of a so-called smart drive comprisinga USB compatible flash memory to the computer terminal 10. When thesmart drive is introduced to the computer terminal 10, it establishesthe configuration data 32 of the computer terminal 10. The configurationdata 32 can optionally be used to deactivate functional features thatthe computer terminal 10 would otherwise be able to perform based on themodel of the computer terminal 10 purchased. Accordingly, a commonhardware platform of the computer terminal 10 can be configured in aplurality of different functional configurations based on theconfiguration data 32.

In addition to the administrative instructions 30, the memory 24 alsostores an updatable formulary 36 containing a database of medicinalsubstances that can be identified by the computer terminal 10 and selectinformation for each medicinal-substance entry in the database. Theformulary 36 can optionally be stored, updated and deleted from thememory 24 by the introduction of a so-called smart drive comprising aUSB compatible flash memory to the computer terminal 10. When the smartdrive is introduced to the computer terminal 10, it establishes theformulary 36 of the computer terminal 10. Illustrative examples of theselect information that can be provided for the medicinal-substanceentries includes, but is not limited to, an ID number such as a NDCcode, UPC code, EAN code, or any other identifying data that can be usedto relate a barcode or other computer-readable code to themedicinal-substance entries; a sound file that, when played, audiblyannounces the name of the medicinal substance identified in response toscanning a machine readable code; warning data; or any combinationthereof

A network adaptor 38 is operatively connected to communicate with theprocessing component 22 for translating signals received by the computerterminal 10 over a network 40 at a medical facility, such as thatillustrated in FIG. 3. The network adaptor 38 can be compatible with anytype of network communication. For example, the network adaptor 38 caninclude a hardwired, 10Base-T, 100Base-T, or 1000Base-T Ethernetinterface with an RJ-45 socket, a coaxial cable interface, a fiber-opticinterface, any format of wireless communication interface such as anantenna compatible with any of the 802.11 standards established by theIEEE, or any combination thereof. Embodiments including wireless networkadaptors 38 can employ any desired securing protocol such as WEP, WPAand WPA2, for example, and other suitable security protocol. Forembodiments including a network adaptor 38 compatible to communicateover a plurality of different network communication channels, both ahard-wired communication portion of the network adaptor 38 and awireless communication portion of the network adaptor 38 can optionallybe concurrently active. Thus, the computer terminal 10 can optionallycommunicate via both the hard-wired and wireless portions of the networkadaptor 38 concurrently.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of the computer terminals, each referredto generally at 10 and separately at 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, can be includedin a network 40 at a healthcare facility. For example, each operatingroom in which surgical procedures take place may have one of thecomputer terminals 10 located therein. Other networks may include acomputer terminal 10 in an examination room where procedures such asminimally invasive examinations of patients are conducted.

The network 40 also includes a pharmacy computer terminal 42 executingcomputer-executable instructions (referred to hereinafter as anadministration tool or “AT”) that, when executed, manage one or more,and optionally all of the computer terminals 10. Each computer terminal10 to be managed by the AT can be optionally assigned a user-specifieddesignation using the AT to distinguish the computer terminals from eachother on the network 40, and to optionally provide the user with a briefdescription of each computer terminal 10. For example, a computerterminal 10 located in operating room #1 can be assigned the designationOR-1 to indicate its location. According to alternate embodiments, theuser-specified name Cart-1 could be assigned to a computer terminal onmobile cart #1. An IT computer terminal 44 can also optionally beconnected as part of the network 40 to execute the AT and allowtechnical personnel to manage technical aspects of the computerterminals 10, but optionally exclude from the permissions granted totechnical personnel the ability to alter drug or other medical-relatedcontent stored by the computer terminals 10. The permissions granted toa user at the terminals 42, 44 can optionally be determined when theuser logs in based on a username/password combination, acomputer-readable identification, or any other identifying information.Thus, the terminals 42, 44 do not necessarily have to be dedicatedsolely for any particular purpose.

The pharmacy terminal 42 can be located in a pharmacy at a healthcarefacility, where an inventory of controlled drugs and medicinalsubstances (hereinafter generally referred to as “drugs”) is maintained.A pharmacist or a plurality of pharmacists maintain and administer amaster drug database (“MDD”) containing an identity, identification code(e.g., NDC) number, concentration and other pertinent information fordrugs used by the pharmacy. Drugs are entered into the MDD by thepharmacist, and the terminals 42, 44, and optionally other terminalsconnected to the network 40 can restrict access to the MDD and preventunauthorized individuals from entering or altering drug entries in theMDD, and optionally from accessing the MDD altogether. In other words,the pharmacist(s) registered and authorized to work at the health carefacility and those they grant permission to access the MDD are the onlyindividuals permitted to manipulate data in the MDD.

From the MDD, the pharmacist manages a formulary to be stored in thememory 24 of one or more of the computer terminals 10 using the AT withthe pharmacist permission. The formulary can include a subset of theMDD, and the subset can optionally comprise drugs that are commonly usedin the operating room or other locations at the healthcare facilitywhere the computer terminal 10 is positioned. The same formulary canoptionally be stored in the memory 24 of more than one computerterminal, and can optionally be customized to include drugs utilizedduring surgical procedures relating to a particular medical discipline.For example, the same formulary comprising drugs commonly used duringcardiac surgical procedures may be stored in the memory 24 of computerterminals 10 a, 10 b, which are each located in a respective operatingroom dedicated for such procedures. Another, different formularycomprising drugs, optionally in appropriate doses, suitable to beadministered to children can be stored in the memory 24 of a computerterminal 10 located in an operating room dedicated for pediatricsurgical procedures. According to alternate embodiments, the formulary36 stored in the memory 24 of a computer terminal 10 can be evaluatedand updated, replaced or otherwise changed before each surgicalprocedure if the operating room where the computer terminal 10 islocated is not dedicated for a particular type of surgical procedure.When a formulary update is needed to accommodate a specific type ofprocedure, a pharmacist's access can be required to update, replace orotherwise change the formulary in the computer terminals 10, andupdating, replacing and changing the formulary in the memory 24 in eachof the computer terminals 10 can be performed over the network asdescribed in detail below.

In addition to a pharmacist's level of permission, there can be otherpermission levels limiting access to the computer terminals 10 todifferent users. For example, an anesthesiologist may be grantedpermission to use a computer terminal 10 to interrogate a barcode orother machine-readable code on a drug vial to extract the identity ofthe drug and print a label to be applied onto a syringe. Theanesthesiologist can optionally also be granted permission to confirmthat the interrogation of a barcode has returned the proper drugidentification. However, the anesthesiologist may be prevented fromediting the formulary stored in the memory 24 of the computer terminal10.

Additionally, an IT professional can be granted permission to addressany technical, computer hardware-and-software-related issues with thecomputer terminals 10 that are unrelated to the specific druginformation of the MDD and/or formulary. For example, the ITprofessional may be granted permission to assign and/or change: an IPaddress of the computer terminals 10, a security protocol employed, andother computer-specific matters. However, some information related tothe formulary such as the version and description of the formulary canbe viewed by the IT professional to ensure that the proper computerterminal 10 has the correct formulary installation. This also applies toversion and description information of the operating system, BIOS 28,configuration data 32 and administration instructions 30.

The network 40 in FIG. 3 also includes an email server 46 through whichemail is to be transmitted to individuals who perform tasks related tothe computer terminals 10 at the healthcare facility. The email server46, like the computer terminals 10, and optionally other resources ofthe network 40, can transmit signals to other network resources viahard-wired communication channels (represented by solid lines 48 in FIG.3) such as CAT-5 Ethernet cable, via wireless communication channels(represented by arched, radiating signals 50), or a combination thereof.For example, email messages notifying individuals that a triggeringevent has occurred on one or more computer terminals 10 are transmittedfrom the email server 46 to one or more of the terminals 42, 44, aportable communication device 54 such as a personal digital assistant,cellular telephone, tablet or laptop computer, and the like.Additionally, the email server 46 can be configured to apply one or morerules that organize and deliver the information in more meaningful waysto the user. For example, a pharmacist may want notification of allproblems with the formulary 36 (e.g., a “drug not found” notification)to be aggregated together and delivered to him at the start of his workshift and again 4 hours later. The email server 46 can be configured totransmit such notices in a single communication to the pharmacist atthose times. Further, different pharmacists may prefer differentnotification procedures and different times at which such notificationsare to be received, and the email server 46 can optionally be configuredto satisfy the requests of each pharmacist individually. However, agroup of IT technicians may want prompt notification of technicalproblems that prevent a computer terminal 10 from operating properly ina surgical suite. Again, the email server 46 can be configured topromptly transmit such notifications to the IT technicians substantiallyimmediately upon detecting such technical problems.

Network resource allocation equipment 52 such as switches, routers,wireless access points, and the like can be included in the network 40to share network resources and establish communication between thecomputer terminals 10 and the terminals 42, 44. Additionally, thecomputer terminals 10 can optionally serve as an expansion port to whichother network resources such as the automated drug dispensing system 56,commonly referred to as a “smart cart”, can be connected to the networkto dispense and document the strength, quantity and type of drugaccording to a schedule or in response to the occurrence of apredetermined event. Additionally, since one of the functions of smartcarts is to control the dispensing of drugs and one of the functions ofcomputer terminal 10 is producing labels for containers such as syringesthat are filled with drugs from the smart cart, there are benefitsrelated to efficiency if the devices can share information. For example,a network connection between the smart cart and computer terminal 10will allow user login information such as username and password enteredon one device to be shared with the other device so a user isauthenticated on both devices with a single login. Other benefitsinclude being able to share information about drugs being used in aprocedure between the devices so verification and reconciliation ofdrugs can be performed to ensure the proper medications are dispensed,labeled and tracked for improving the accuracy of patient records andaccurate billing. As shown in FIG. 3, the automated drug dispensingsystem 56 is hard-wired to the computer terminal 10 c, which isconnected wirelessly to other network resources.

Before the computer terminals 10 are usable in a medical environment,the AT software can be installed on one or more of the terminals 42, 44to be used by a pharmacist at a hospital or other health care facilityto populate the MDD. The AT accepts drug information from varioussources such as commercially available drug databases (e.g. Lexicomp)and allows the pharmacist to selectively add drugs to the MDD, which canbe stored at network-accessible storage server or locally by theterminal 42, 44 running the AT. In simplest terms, the MDD is the set ofdrugs available to the hospital or other healthcare facility.

Once the MDD is populated with drug information, the pharmacist will usethe AT to select a subset of drugs from the MDD to be added to theformulary that will be stored in the memory of one or more of thecomputer terminals 10, thereby enabling the computer terminals 10 torecognize the drugs in that formulary. The formulary managed using theAT running on one of the terminals 42, 44, as it pertains to thecomputer terminals 10, can be considered an official set of medicationswith associated information for preparing and labeling drug containersin accordance with a medical labeling standard. The “associatedinformation” can include information for preparing the drug, whichusually means diluting the drug when needed. It can also includeinformation related to the color, patterns, graphics and textualinformation printed on the label for specific drugs to render thoselabels, once printed, compliant with the medical labeling standard.Other types of associated information can be files, data forimplementing a computer-generated voice, references to files for audiblypronouncing the name of the drug and important drug related informationsuch as the concentration value and concentration units, or anycombination thereof. For example, in the case of Propofol 10 mg/ml, asingle audio file, or more than one audio file or references to audiofiles can be combined together to audibly speak the drug name andconcentration of the drug as “Propofol ten milligrams per milliliter”.According to the present example, the drug name “Propofol” can becontained in one audible file while the concentration value “ten” is inanother audible file and the concentration units “milligrams permilliliter” in a third audible file. These three audio files can beexecuted and played in sequence to allow the computer terminal toaudibly broadcast “Propofol ten milligrams per milliliter” via thespeaker 17 in response to the scanning of a barcode associated with thecontainer that contains 10 mg/ml Propofol. Other audible informationincluding information about errors such as “do not use drug”, forexample, can also be associated with a drug in the formulary using theAT. The “do not use drug” audible information can optionally be audiblyoutput using the speaker 17 when a drug has been recalled and apharmacist wants the computer terminals 10 to notify users not to use adrug that has been recalled, or is otherwise not suitable for use, forexample. The computer terminal 10 can automatically assign some audibledrug information by examination of the data related to the drug. Forexample, the concentration value 10 can be used to select the audiblefile or file reference that speaks the word “ten”. The same applies tothe concentration units. mg/ml can automatically be used to select theaudible file or file reference corresponding to “milligrams permilliliter”. Since the MDD can include information on many types ofdrugs used in the hospital including pills, capsules, ointments,patches, injectables, etc., the pharmacist can optionally select onlythe drugs from the MDD that are commonly used by anesthesiologists inthe operating room (interchangeably referred to herein as the “OR”) fora particular procedure or other points of care in the facility wheredrug containers are labeled prior to dispensing to patients. These areusually the injectable drugs. This subset of drugs can optionally befurther narrowed into application-specific sets for pediatrics, etc. . .

Once the pharmacist selects the drugs for the formulary and assigns theassociated information to each drug, a formulary “package” is created.This package is a single electronic file containing all formularyinformation in a format suitable for delivery to the computer terminals10 on which the formulary is to be stored. Assembling the formulary intoa single package simplifies the transfer of information from theterminal operating the AT to the intended computer terminals 10. It alsoensures that all information for that version of the formulary to betransferred to the computer terminals 10 is encapsulated in a singlefile so no information is lost or forgotten. The formulary package isthen transmitted over the network 40 to the computer terminals 10intended to receive the formulary package, as selected using the AT.According to alternate embodiments, the formulary package can optionallybe stored on a USB flash drive and delivered to the computer terminals10 by plugging the USB flash drive into the computer terminals 10 thatare to receive the formulary package, which is then automaticallyinstalled. This makes the transfer an all-or-nothing proposition,meaning that the existing formulary on the computer terminals 10 iscompletely replaced by the formulary package being transferred. If thereceived formulary package is incomplete or corrupt, it will not be ableto be installed on the computer terminals 10, and the user will bealerted to the installation failure.

In addition to delivering formulary packages, the computer terminals 10accept other types of packages for configuration and software updates.Any of these packages can be delivered via USB drive or network. Allpackages are encoded with a digital signature to prevent the contents ofthe package being altered or corrupted. Additionally, the USB flashdrive can optionally be required to possess a predetermined digitalsignature to ensure that only authorized USB flash drives can be pluggedinto the computer terminals 10 to install a formulary, configuration orsoftware update package.

For example, a configuration package 32 stored in the memory of thecomputer terminals 10 controls the behavior of those computer terminals10 when preparing and labeling syringes. It is can be used to enable ordisable features of the computer terminals 10 such as requiringverification that the drug information displayed on touch-screen display14 matches the drug container scanned by scanner 18 before printing thelabel. A pharmacist, head of anesthesia or other authorized individualcan customize the workflow to dictate how syringe preparation will behandled and use the configuration package to cause the computerterminals 10 to conform to that desired. Once the configuration packageis installed, the computer terminals 10 can impose that workflow on theuser (e.g., requiring an authorized confirmation). Multiple workflowscan be installed on any given computer terminal 10. In some cases, auser can be granted permission to select a workflow for their use oncomputer terminal 10. A workflow can optionally be selected based on auser's login information. This allows different workflows for differentusers. For example, a new resident in the anesthesia program may haveall extra verification enabled while a senior physician may have adifferent workflow configuration. Each workflow can define a sequence ofactions to be performed, and optionally is required to be performed, bya user when interacting with the computer terminals 10.

From time to time the software such as the operating system on thecomputer terminals 10 may need to be updated and/or upgraded. A softwareupdate package from a proprietor of the computer terminals 10 may becreated and transmitted on a USB flash drive, CD, and/or over acommunication network to a hospital for installation on the computerterminals 10, which may change or improve the operation of the system.

Each formulary, configuration and software update package has anidentifier string and version number. The identifier can provide humanreadable information that describes the contents of the package (e.g.Pediatric formulary). A unique version number is assigned to formulariesand configuration packages automatically by the AT or from the vendor inthe case of software update packages. The combination of the identifierstring and version number makes each package easy to identify and track.The computer terminals 10 can display this information on thetouch-screen display 14 or send it over the network 40 for remotemonitoring. This is useful for tracking which systems have been updatedand which system have not.

As described above, a plurality of different formularies may be neededfor different purposes. One formulary may contain drugs for generaladult surgeries while another may contain different drugs orpreparations (dilutions) for pediatric procedures. The AT allowsmultiple formularies to be created and managed from a single MDD. Theuser interface of the AT that controls the deployment of formularypackages over the network 40 allows the user to select a single computerterminal 10, as might be required for testing a new version of aformulary before wide-scale deployment, or a plurality or all of thecomputer terminals 10. In the case of multiple computer terminals 10,these can be manually selected or pre-assigned in groups so all computerterminals 10 in a group can receive the same formulary.

Related to the installation of packages such as formularies, adistribution list of authorized computer terminals 10 can optionally beencoded with the formulary package or other packages such as theconfiguration package or software update package. The distribution listdefines which computer terminals 10 are allowed to install the package.A computer terminal 10 checks the distribution list before installingthe package to see if it is on the list. If the computer terminal 10 isnot on the distribution list, the package will not be installed. Inother words, rather than individually selecting the computer terminals10 using the AT to which the package is to be transmitted, the computerterminals 10 that are intended to receive each package can be includedin the distribution list in the packages themselves. The packages canthen be transmitted via the network to all computer terminals 10, butinstalled on only those computer terminals 10 included on thedistribution list. This is particularly useful when a facility uses USBflash drives to distribute packages, but can also apply to networkinstalled packages. For example, a USB flash drive containing aformulary package for general adult surgery might be inadvertently beplugged into a computer terminal 10 intended for pediatric use. Thedistribution list embedded in the package prevents the pediatriccomputer terminal 10 from installing the formulary package for thegeneral adult surgery onto the computer terminal 10 intended forpediatric use.

Each computer terminal 10 can optionally be limited to store a singleformulary at a time, but alternate embodiments can allow a plurality ofdifferent formularies to be installed and selected by the user as theuser logs into the computer terminal 10. Alternately, a formulary couldbe tied to, and automatically selected as the active formulary based onthe login information of the user when that user logs in. This wouldallow a Gastroenterologist, for example, to recognize a different set ofdrugs with the computer terminals 10 for minor procedures than ananesthesiologist for general surgeries.

In another embodiment, a single formulary 36 can contain druginformation suitable for multiple types of procedures such as pediatric,cardiac, general surgery, gastroenterology, minimally invasive surgeryand others in a single formulary. The user of computer terminal 10 canselect the type of procedure being performed. The type of procedureselected would correspond to a specific subset of drugs and associateddrug information contained in formulary 36. For example, a specific drugmay not require dilution when used in typical adult surgeries, but mayrequire dilution in pediatric procedures. A single formulary can havedifferent information for preparing the same drug based on the type ofprocedure currently selected. Additionally, configuration data 32 can beused to limit the procedure types available to a particular user. Forexample, an anesthesiologist may have full access to all procedures, buta gastroenterologist may be limited to drugs suitable for proceduressuch as colonoscopies.

Related to a single formulary containing drug information for multipletypes of procedures, a default selection of the procedure type can bemade based on the user login information on computer terminal 10.

When packages are deployed to the computer terminals 10 over thenetwork, options can be specified that determine when the packages willbe installed. It is undesirable to cause a package to be installed inthe middle of a medical procedure, so options to defer packageinstallation until the user logs out of the computer terminal 10, orafter a specific time, such as 10 PM, or a combination of options suchas the first time no user is logged in to the computer terminal 10 andthe time is after 10 PM. Other options such as install on next rebootare also possibilities. An optional time delay can be specified thatwill not immediately install a package when a user logs out. This is tohandle the case where one physician goes on break during a longprocedure and another physician fills in for the physician on break. Inthis case, a logout may be followed by another login because theprocedure is still underway. A reasonable delay is needed to ensureanother user is not going to login. This can also be accomplished bydisplaying a warning message on the touch-screen display 14 that apackage is about to install and a delay to allow the user to touch thescreen to defer the installation, providing enough time and notificationfor the user to log into the computer terminal 10.

Each computer terminal 10 is designed to operate autonomously. Once itis has a formulary and configuration package installed, the computerterminals 10 will operate with or without a network connection. Thisensures the device will continue to work and not interfere with themedical procedure even if the network connection stops functioning.While the network is not functioning the computer terminals 10 willstore information that needs to be transmitted for logging, recordkeeping, billing, and other purposes when the network connection isre-established.

When the computer terminals 10 are connected to the network 40 and thenetwork connection is functioning properly, they can perform otherfunctions in addition to receiving packages. For example, the computerterminals 10 can transmit information regarding the status of the:hardware (e.g., the printer 26 is low or out of a particular printingink or toner, the printer is out of label stock), package informationsuch as versions of packages installed, the user logged into each of thecomputer terminals 10 (if any), important events such as “drug notfound” alert in response to scanning a barcode with the scanner 18, forexample, which may indicate a drug is in the hospital that was notincluded in the formulary on that computer terminal 10 and may not beproperly usable, etc. In such situations, an alert signal is transmittedby the afflicted computer terminal(s) 10 to the email server 46, and theemail server 46 responds by composing the email or other messagecontaining textual information corresponding to the alert signal andtransmitting the email or other message to the intended recipient. Thestatus information can optionally be transmitted by the computerterminals 10 automatically, not in response to receiving a statusrequest, upon the occurrence of an event, periodically, when a statuschanges, or a combination thereof. According to an alternate embodiment,the AT running on the terminal 42 or 44 can be used to access thecomputer terminals 10 over the network 40 to determine the status ofeach computer terminal 10, the various components making up the computerterminals 10, or other information regarding the computer terminal 10.Thus, the AT running on the terminal 42 or 44 can be used to receivestatus report information autonomously transmitted by the computerterminals 10, and/or can be used to retrieve (or request transmittal of)the status report information from the computer terminals 10. The statusreport information can optionally be tabulated by the AT running on theterminal 42 or 44 and presented in a logical manner to the user, therebyallowing the user to readily identify any of the computer terminals 10that are not operating as intended.

In another embodiment, event information that occurs on a computerterminal 10 can be shared with other computer terminals 10 on thenetwork 40 either through the AT running on one or more of the terminals42, 44, or the email server 46, or with a dedicated software program onthe network 42, or directly with other computer terminals 10 on thenetwork 42. Shared information can be used to optimize the workflow ofthe users by sharing events such as first time verification of a drugbeing used at a computer terminal 10 so other users will have thebenefit of the drug verification and not have to perform the sameverification procedure on each computer terminal 10.

Related to the aforementioned sharing of information between computerterminals 10 on the network 40, a syringe or other container labeled bythe computer terminal 10 can include a unique identifier in amachine-readable format on the label. For example, a unique serialnumber could be assigned to each syringe and encoded in a barcode thatis applied to the syringe. Information related to the unique identifiernumbers of the containers prepared at a particular computer terminal 10and information about the drug in the container (e.g., drug name,concentration, expiration date and/or time, other information, and anycombination thereof) can be shared with other computer terminals 10 onthe network 40 so a container that is prepared for one patient but ismoved to another operating room can be verified when themachine-readable code is scanned by the scanner of the computer terminal10 in the other operating room. As a result of scanning the barcode orother machine-readable code, a notification can be provided to the user,alerting the user that the drug within that drug container is notintended for that patient (i.e., it is intended for the patient in theoriginal operating room). Alternately, for drug containers permitted tobe moved between operating rooms, the contents of the container can beverified in each operating room, and whether the contents are expired,by scanning the machine-readable code with the scanner 18 provided ineach of those operating rooms.

Messages of importance to users such planned updates to software,formularies, configuration changes or even messages such as staffmeetings or departmental messages can be sent out over the network 40from an AT running on terminals 42, 44 to one or more computer terminal10 systems on the network and displayed on the touch-screen display 14when the user logs into the system. If the message is received on acomputer terminal 10 while a user is logged in, a non-intrusive messagewill notify the user that a message is waiting to be displayed. Thiswill prevent any interruption of the user in the middle of a medicalprocedure. Messages can be configured to display once per user or eachtime a user logs in until the message is discontinued from theterminal(s) 42, 44 running the AT. Authority to send out or discontinuemessages can optionally be granted or restricted to specific users ofthe AT.

The usefulness and effectiveness of computer terminal 10 can be enhancedby associating patient information with a medical procedure. Patientinformation at a healthcare facility is usually stored on an ElectronicMedical Record (EMR) system. The EMR typically collects and managespatient Personal Health Records (PHR) from sources throughout thehealthcare facility and makes those records available to authorizedusers and equipment through the network. As related to computerterminals 10, patient information can be transmitted over the network 40to one or more of the computer terminals 10 from an EMR system in thehealthcare facility using HL7 or another healthcare specific networkprotocol. Patient information such as patient name, ID, date of birth,sex, medical conditions, drug history and other relevant informationfrom the EMR is received and stored by an EMR gateway server. The EMRgateway server can collect and aggregate patient information receivedfrom the EMR when the EMR transmits information over the network 40. Inother words, the EMR gateway server receives information such as ADT(admission-discharge-transfer) codes and other HL7 messages transmittedfrom the EMR to different devices intended for different recipients overthe network 40. Each such transmission from a plurality of different EMRservers can optionally be collected and recorded by one common gatewayserver or a plurality of gateway servers. Thus, the informationcollected by the EMR gateway server can be accessed and retrieved fromthe EMR gateway server rather than from the EMR server. Since patientinformation is often transmitted on the network from the EMR as itbecomes available from different sources in the healthcare facility, itis necessary to collect and combine the patient information so theappropriate information it is available for a specific purpose. The EMRgateway server performs this function for the computer terminals 10. TheEMR gateway server can also reduce the cost of connectivity to the EMRbecause many EMR systems have a fee per connection and it can be lessexpensive to connect one EMR gateway server to the EMR than manyindividual computer terminal 10 systems. An EMR, an EMR in combinationwith an EMR gateway server, and a plurality of EMR systems in networkcommunication with a common EMR gateway server are represented generallyat 47 in FIG. 3. Patient information is transmitted from the EMR gatewayserver 47 on network 40 to computer terminals 10 when a specific patientidentity is entered into a computer terminal 10 or requested from acomputer terminal 10 before the patient that is to receive medicalattention at a location, such as in an operating room of a healthcarefacility, in a pharmacy, or other desired location, for example, wherethe computer terminal 10 is located. The specific patient's identity canbe selected from a patient list stored by the EMR gateway server 47 andaccessed using the computer terminal 10, or determined in response tothe user entering unique patient identification information such as apatient ID using touch-screen display 14 or scanner 18, for example. Thepatient ID or other patient-related information can be transmitted overthe network and used to look up the patient information from the EMRgateway server. The patient information received from the EMR gatewayserver by computer terminal 10 is verified by the user usingtouch-screen display 14 and stored in memory 24 for the duration of theprocedure. Likewise, the user can enter, or select from a list displayedvia the display 14, the specific procedure to be performed, which isstored in the memory 24 and associated with the patient information. Theprocedure can optionally also be transmitted from the computer terminal10 over the network 40 to be stored in association with an entry forthat patient in the EMR gateway.

Patient information related to drug allergies, other drugs the patientis taking and relevant information such as date of birth, sex, weight,etc. can affect the selection of medications and doses administeredduring a medical procedure. Patient information can be associated with aprocedure on computer terminal 10 as described above. In the simplestuse case, the patient information locally stored in memory 24 on thecomputer terminal 10 can be displayed on touch-screen display 14 forreview by the user. In more complex implementations, the patientinformation in memory 24 can be accessed by the processing component 22of the computer terminal 10 and checked as drugs are being prepared oncomputer terminal 10 to provide warnings to the user if a drug(s) beingprepared and labeled is not suitable, or is not apparently suitable tobe administered to the patient based on the patient informationavailable. Based on the patient information, information in theformulary, the procedure identified by the user, or any combinationthereof, other analyses can be performed, such as verification that theformulary or type of procedure selected as described above or gleanedfrom the content of a formulary tailored for a particularpatient/surgical procedure is appropriate for this patient, patient drugallergies, drug to drug interactions, age related medicationrestrictions, etc. While performing such an analysis on the computerterminal 10 is one option, a more sophisticated analysis may be possibleby communicating with a server included as part of the network 40 thatreceives individual requests for drug verification along with anindication for selecting the appropriate patient information from thecomputer terminal 10 and transmits a response to the computer terminal10 that approves the use of the drug or provides the user with anappropriate warning that is displayed on touch-screen display 14.

Patient information associated with a procedure on computer terminal 10as described above, can be used to provide drug tracking information forbilling and patient records. As drugs are being prepared on computerterminal 10, the drug related information can be transmitted along withinformation required to associate the drug information with a patient tothe EMR gateway server 47. The EMR gateway server 47 then transmits thedrug related information along with associated patient information tothe EMR 47 at the facility over network 40 using HL7 or anotherhealthcare specific network protocol compatible with the EMR 47.

In another embodiment, the Patient information associated with aprocedure on computer terminal 10 as described above, can be used totransmit information to a LIS (Laboratory Information System) 97 in thefacility, shown in FIG. 3. The LIS 97 includes a network connectedstorage device such as a database server for example, that storesrecords of laboratory samples that are to be, or have been, subjected tomedical testing at the laboratory in a computer-readable medium. In manysurgical procedures, it is common to have a specimen removed from thepatient that is sent to the laboratory for analysis. The specimen isoften labeled by hand with patient information, tissue information, siteinformation, date and time of extraction, attending physician, etc., andsent to the laboratory. The computer terminal 10 can allow the user toprint a label with the same information that would normally be writtenby hand and transmit an electronic record of the data to the LIS 97 forstorage, so the information on the label of the specimen will exactlymatch the information stored by the LIS 97 when the specimen arrives inthe laboratory.

The computer terminals 10 can transmit data over the network to one ormore of the terminals 42, 44 running the AT, a network-connected server,or other network resource, for example, that can be used to generate andanalyze drug usage patterns based on procedure type, user or otherrelevant parameters. As drugs are being prepared by the user using acomputer terminal 10, information about the drug including the drugname, concentration, container ID, date, time, user and procedureinformation can be stored in memory 24 on computer terminal 10 and thentransmitted to the terminal(s) running the AT or a dedicated server. Theinformation can then be post processed to extract the requiredinformation for determining usage patterns of drugs.

AIMS (Anesthesia Information Management Systems), also known as ARKS(Anesthesia Record Keeping Systems), includes a server, representedgenerally at 77 in FIG. 3, that receives and stores drug usageinformation for each patient during a medical procedure to allowanesthesiologists to electronically record patient vital signs, drugsadministered, important events that occurred during the surgery andother relevant information related to anesthesia administration andmonitoring during a procedure. Many AIMS systems are programmed with aset of all drugs that could be administered in the operating room. Thiscan be hundreds of drugs. When recording a drug in the AIMS 77, the userof the AIMS 77 usually navigates through multiple levels of menus tofind the correct drug. A more efficient and accurate method of drugselection can be implemented using network 40 and computer terminal 10to transfer drug information as they are prepared to the AIMS 77. TheAIMS 77 user would then be presented with a short list of the drugsprepared on the computer terminal 10 when they record drug informationon the AIMS 77. If the drug is not found on the short list of drugsprepared on computer terminal 10, then the user would have the option toaccess the full list of drugs stored on the AIMS 77. Although the emailserver 46, EMR 47, AIMS 77 and LIS 97 appear in FIG. 3 as separate,distributed computational platforms, it is to be understood that one ormore of such platforms can be combined and embodied on a singlecomputational platform without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

Computer terminal 10 can optionally include a speaker 17 that playsaudio files in response to the scanning of a barcode on a drug containerby the scanner 18 during preparation of a label. Computer terminal 10stores audio files or files that can be used to create audible sounds inmemory 24. These audio files are executed by the computer terminal 10 to“speak” a drug name and concentration from the speaker 17 when a userscans a drug container using scanner 18. This provides audibleconfirmation to the user of the drug that was scanned. Other devices onthe network that want to provide audible output of drug names,concentrations values and concentration units can transmit a message tocomputer terminal 10 over the network using a defined interface andmessage format to instruct computer terminal 10 to audibly “speak” thespecified drug name and concentration information. The message canoptionally include volume information. Alternately, the other device cantransmit a message to computer terminal 10 using a defined interface andmessage format to select and receive the sound files from the computerterminal 10 and play the sound files locally on the device.

In another embodiment, the computer terminal 10 can transmit a list ofprepared drug information over the network 40 to an administrationterminal that is mounted near the point of drug administration to thepatient. The administration terminal (not shown) can include a scannersimilar to scanner 18 provided to the computer terminal 10, a displaydevice for displaying the results of scanning a barcode or othermachine-readable code, a processing component for converting a scannedcode to the identity of the content of the container labeled with thebarcode, and a network adaptor to receive the list of prepared druginformation over the network. Optionally, the administration terminalcan also include a speaker to audibly output the information pertainingto the content of the container labeled with the barcode when thebarcode is scanned. The display device and/or the speaker can alsooptionally output a warning about the container and/or the drug thereinin response to reading the barcode and determining that a warning iswarranted.

Regardless of its purpose, an illustrative example of such a label 51 isshown in FIG. 6. As shown, the label 51 produced by the computerterminal 10 can be applied to a syringe or other drug container in whicha drug to be administered to a patient can be stored. includes humanreadable information identifying at least one of: a drug name 55, atotal dose 57, a total volume 59, a concentration 61, expirationinformation 65, a patient ID 67, dilution information 69, andinformation 71 identifying a person who prepared the label 51. One, or aplurality of different or redundant computer-readable codes 75 are alsoprinted on the label 51, such as a barcode for example. The code(s) 75can be redundant to encode the same information, or different to encodediverse information (e.g., a first one of the codes 75 can encode thedrug identity or other drug-specific information, and a second one ofthe codes can encode the patient identity or other patient-specificinformation) to allow a user to scan the code(s) 75 on the label 51 toretrieve any of the encoded information.

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative embodiment of a computer-accessible sourceof patient information depicted as a prescription form 80 prescribing adrug to a patient. Although shown as a hardcopy prescription form 80,the computer-accessible source can be any source of patient informationthat facilitates the automated input of the patient information into thecomputer terminal 10 other than through manual, human entry ofindividual keystrokes for each character of the patient's name,identification number, etc . . . , which is prone to human error. Inother words, the information indicative of the patient's identity, suchas the patient's name, identification number, and the like, can beencoded by a computer-readable code 81, also referred to as a patientcode 81, provided to the prescription form 80. The encoded informationcan be obtained by the computer terminal 10 by scanning thecomputer-readable code 81, and without relying on the manual entry ofsuch information by a user, or without the risk of human error beingintroduced during entry of the patient information via thecomputer-readable code 81.

Although shown as a prescription form 80, other examples of thecomputer-accessible source include, but are not limited to a patient'schart with a patient code 81, a sticker bearing a patient code 81applied to the patient's chart or other paperwork, an electronic ordertransmitted to the computer terminal 10 electronically, as acommunication over the communication network 40 from the EMR gatewayserver 47 or other repository of patient information accessible to thecomputer terminal 10, or any other source of the patient information tobe encoded. However, the patient code 81 can optionally be independentof the patient, or article worn by the patient that is scanned toidentify the patient to a medical device such as an infusion pump orother drug deliver device that administers a drug to a patient incontrolled quantities an automated manner according to deliveryparameters programmed into the device. In other words, the patient code81 or other computer-accessible source can be any source that can beused to communicate the information indicative of the patient's identityto the computer terminal 10 other than a computer-accessible source thatwill be used to determine the patient's identity for confirmationpurposes when the drug is to be administered. As discussed in detailbelow, utilizing a computer-accessible source that is independent of thepatient or article worn or otherwise associated with the patient andthat is used to program a medication delivery device, for example, toobtain the patient's information to be applied to the label 51 allowsfor confirmation of the patient's identity at a time when the drug is tobe administered by the medication delivery device. For example, FIG. 5shows an illustrative embodiment of a wristband 90 to be worn by apatient admitted to a hospital or other healthcare facility. In additionto human-readable information 91 concerning the patient, the wristband90 also includes a barcode 92 or other computer-readable code encodinginformation indicative of the patient's identity. Since the wristband 90is worn by the patient, and the barcode 92 is scanned by a clinician toidentify the patient during medical treatment, such a barcode 92 wouldnot be considered a computer-accessible source of patient informationthat is independent of the patient. In contrast, if the barcode 92 isscanned as the computer-accessible source as described herein, and thissame barcode 92 is also scanned to identify the patient at a time when adrug is to be administered, the patient identity obtained from eachsource will always match. This scenario could possibly result in anerroneous confirmation of the patient's identity even if the barcode 92erroneously identified the patient.

As shown in FIG. 4, the prescription form 80 includes acomputer-readable code 81 in the form of a two-dimensional barcodeencoding information indicative of the patient's identity. Thetwo-dimensional barcode can optionally encode the data itself, or encodea storage location from where the encoded information can be retrieved.The scanner 18 (FIG. 2), in response to reading the computer-readablecode 81, transmits a signal indicative of the identity of the patient orother patient-specific information to be received by the processingcomponent 22. In turn, the processing component 22 can generatepatient-specific label content, including the barcode 75 encodinginformation indicative of the patient's identity, to be printed onto thelabel 51.

The prescription form 80 can also optionally include anothercomputer-readable code 87, which appears in FIG. 4 as a one-dimensionalbarcode, but can be of any other suitable format compatible for use withlegacy equipment that may not be configured to read the patient code 81encoded as a two-dimensional barcode, for example. Thus, thecomputer-readable code 87 can optionally be redundant, encoding the sameinformation encoded by the patient code 81, but in a format that isdifferent than the format of the patient code 81 for use by legacydevices that may not be configured to read the most-recently-developedbarcodes or other advanced computer-readable codes.

FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment of the prescription form 100.Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, this embodiment of theprescription form 100 includes human readable information such asinformation relating to the prescribing physician 102, information usedto identify the patient 104, and order information 106 concerning theprescribed drug. Further, the prescription form 100 also includes thetwo-dimensional patient code 81 encoding information 104 indicative ofthe patient's identity. However, unlike the prescription form 80 shownin FIG. 4, the prescription form 100 also includes a drug order code108, instead of or in addition to the computer-readable code 87, touniquely identify the drug order stored in the EMR gateway server orother network-accessible database. A human-readable representation ofthe patient code 81, computer-readable code 87, and/or drug order code108 can also optionally be arranged adjacent to their respectivebarcode. The drug order code 108 can encode a storage location fromwhere the full record of the drug order can be retrieved. Further, thecomputer terminal 10 can optionally be programmed to retrieve a specificportion, but optionally less than all of the information included in thefull record (e.g., the name and/or patient ID number of the patient) forpurposes of generating the label content to be printed and encoded alongwith the drug information by the barcode 75 that is to appear on thelabel 51. For example, in response to scanning the drug order code 108,the computer terminal 10 can retrieve information included in a specificfield (e.g., patient name field and/or a patient identification numberfield) of an XML or other data-exchange format. Thus, the scanner 18(FIG. 2) can, in response to reading the computer-readable code 81and/or the drug order code 108, transmit a signal indicative of theidentity of the patient or other patient-specific information to bereceived by the processing component 22. In turn, the processingcomponent 22 can generate patient-specific label content, including thebarcode 75 encoding information indicative of the patient's identity, tobe printed onto the label 51.

The information indicative of the patient's identity can include atleast one of: the patient's name, the patient's date of birth, patient'ssex, patient identification number assigned to the patient at thehospital or other healthcare institution, and the like. This informationcan then be obtained by scanning the code 75 and compared to analogousinformation obtained by scanning the barcode 92 as described below forpurposes of confirming the patient's identification at a time when thedrug is to be administered.

The drug order information received from the EMR gateway server or othernetwork-accessible database using the drug order code 108 can includeinformation related to the configuration and programming of devices suchas drug infusion pumps and drug labeling systems. For example, a syringepump is one type of infusion pump that includes a moveable pistonadjusted at a suitable rate to deliver the drug according to theparameters input to program the device to control delivery of the drugcontained within a syringe. The drug order information can include atleast one of the drug name, drug concentration, drug preparationinstructions, drug flow rate to be used when administering the drug topatient using a drug infusion pump, drug delivery duration, prescribingdoctor or clinician and other information or instructions that relate tothe order including drug selection, preparation, administration andfollow-up instructions. Any portion of this drug information can beencoded by the one or more barcodes 75 that the computer terminal 10 isto print as label content onto the label 51. Thus, when a scanner orother code reader provided to the drug infusion pump or other drugdelivery device scans the barcode 75, such device can be programmed withthe encoded drug information.

A similar barcode or other computer-readable code provided to a drugvial or other storage container from which a dose of a drug is to beprepared can also be read by the scanner 18, which transmits a signalindicative of the drug identity to the processing component 22 inresponse. The processing component 22 then identifies, from theformulary 36, the identity of the drug corresponding to the scannedcomputer-readable code. In turn, the processing component 22 generatesdrug-specific label content, including the same barcode 75 as thatdescribed above encoding the information indicative of the patient'sidentity, or optionally a different one of the barcodes 75 encodinginformation indicative of the drug's identity, to be printed onto thelabel 51. The printer 26 can then print the label content including thecomputer-readable code(s) 75 identifying the specific drug and patientthat is to receive the drug onto the label 51 that is to be applied to asyringe or other drug container. Any other desired label content such asthat described with reference to FIG. 6 above can also be printed inhuman-readable form (e.g., alpha/numeric characters) onto the label 51.

According to alternate embodiments, the processing component 22 canoptionally be configured to receive an instruction for programming amedication delivery device or other medical device used during theadministration of a drug to the patient. For example, the processingcomponent can be programmed to receive a rate at which the drug is to bedelivered to the patient, for example. Such information can be encodedby a computer-readable code by the processing component 22, and thiscomputer-readable code is also printed on, or otherwise applied to thelabel 51 as the same, or one of the different barcodes 75 describedabove.

Such a label 51 printed by the printer 26 can be applied to a syringe orother drug container. To administer the drug in such a syringe utilizinga syringe pump or other medication delivery device configured to beprogrammed via a computer-readable code, the clinician can approach themedication deliver device and scan the barcode(s) 75 printed onto thelabel 51 utilizing a barcode reader provided to the medication deliverydevice. From the barcode(s) 75, at least one of patient identifyinginformation, drug identifying information and the instruction isobtained by the medication delivery device based on the informationencoded by the barcode(s) 75.

The barcode 92 on the wristband 90 worn by the patient that is toreceive the drug is also scanned using the barcode reader provided tothe medication delivery device. As a precautionary measure, the patientidentity determined based on the barcode(s) 75 is compared to thepatient identity determined based on the barcode 92 to determine whetherthe patient identities match. In the event that there is a match, thedrug delivery device configures itself into a mode in which the drug isto be administered to the patient. However, if the patient identities donot match, an alert can be issued by the medication delivery device toprompt the clinician to ensure that the drug in the syringe is supposedto be administered to this patient, and the medication deliver devicecan interfere with, or prevent the administration of the drug until suchtime that manual confirmation that the drug is intended for thisspecific patient is entered.

Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methodsmay incorporate changes and modifications without departing from thegeneral scope of this invention. It is intended to include all suchmodifications and alterations within the scope of the present invention.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

1. A labeling apparatus that generates a label for labeling a drugcontainer at a healthcare facility, the labeling apparatus comprising: acode reader that reads a computer-readable code encoding a drug to bestored by the drug container and transmits a signal indicative of theidentity of the drug in response to reading the computer-readable code;a non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores a drug formularycomprising a plurality of drug entries; a processing component thatidentifies, from the formulary, the identity of the drug correspondingto the computer-readable code and receives additional information from acomputer-accessible source; and a printer for printing label contentidentifying the specific drug onto a label that is to be applied to thedrug container, the label content comprising the identity of the drugand the additional information formatted in at least one of: ahuman-readable form, and encoded by a label code that iscomputer-readable.
 2. The labeling apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecomputer-accessible source comprises a second computer-readable codeencoding the additional information, and the code reader is adapted toread the second computer-readable code from a source independent of apatient and transmit an additional signal indicative of the patientidentity that is received by the processing component.
 3. The labelingapparatus of claim 2, wherein the source is independent of the patientand comprises an identification label that is not used to program amedication delivery device.
 4. The labeling apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a network component that receives the additional informationas a communication transmitted over a communication network as thecomputer-accessible source.
 5. The labeling apparatus of claim 1,wherein the printer is adapted to print encoded information as aplurality of different barcodes comprising a first barcode that encodesthe identity of the drug and a second barcode, which is different thanthe first barcode, that encodes the additional information.
 6. Thelabeling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the printer is adapted to printencoded information as a common barcode that encodes both the identityof the drug and the additional information.
 7. The labeling apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured toreceive an instruction for programming a medication delivery device, andthe printer prints a label code to encode the instruction.
 8. Thelabeling apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instruction comprises atleast a rate at which the drug is to be delivered to a patient.
 9. Amethod of administering a drug to a patient utilizing an automated drugdelivery device, the method comprising: with a computer-readable codereader, scanning a drug code that is computer-readable and a firstpatient code that is computer readable, the drug code and the firstpatient code being associated with a drug container storing the drug tobe administered by the automated drug delivery device; with thecomputer-readable code reader, scanning a second patient code that iscomputer readable and independent of the first patient code; comparing afirst patient identity determined based on the first patient code to asecond patient identity determined based on the second patient code tomake a determination whether the first patient identity matches thesecond patient identity; configuring the drug delivery device toadminister the drug to the patient in response to making a determinationthat the first patient identity matches the second patient identity; andinitiating an alert in response to making a determination that the firstpatient identity does not match the second patient identity.
 10. Themethod of claim 9 further comprising interfering administration of thedrug to the patient in response to making the determination that thefirst patient identity does not match the second patient identity. 11.The method of claim 10, wherein said scanning the drug code and thefirst patient code comprises using a barcode scanner provided to thedrug delivery device to scan a label barcode provided to a label appliedto a syringe, and wherein said scanning the second patient codecomprises using the barcode scanner to scan a patient barcode providedto the patient.